Is Anybody Home?
by The Samurai Prince
Summary: Phoebe invited Arnold and Helga to spend the day at her family lake house so they can try to mend their relationship. As the day draws to a close, however, Arnold and Helga have some unexpected guests arrive in the middle of the night... (Hey Arnold fused with "The Strangers" movie concept) Rating might go up.
1. Reminiscing

****[NEW AUTHOR'S NOTE: 9/19/2017]****

 ** **Okay, I think I've got everything planned out! As of now though, this story will feature only Arnold AND Helga, with cameo appearances from Gerald and Phoebe! This story idea is based on the concept of the suspense/horror movie, "The Strangers". Now before you read, let me just say four things:****

 ** **1\. The ending of this will not be like the movie's ending. It'll be totally different.****

 ** **2\. Other than seeing the ending of the "The Strangers", I have not watched the whole movie. I do know the premise though. However, I'm going to use creative license to make it my creation, with little bits of things that I got from the trailer. :)****

 ** **3\. There will be five "strangers" instead of three. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing...hopefully. But seriously, I hope that's okay. :P****

 ** **4\. Arnold and Helga(as well as Phoebe and Gerald) are also 20 in this.****

 ** **Alrighty! It's time to get this party on the road! Heads up though, things might become M rated soon…maybe. I don't know, I'm never good at making over the top gore…I get kind of uneasy. D8 Anywho, here's the prologue! :D****

 ** **But first!****

 ** **Disclaimer: I don't own "Hey Arnold!" or the movie concept of "The Strangers". I'm doing this out of fun and creativity. :)****

 ** **[EDITED AND REVISED: 10/7/2017]****

* * *

 **…** ** **Is Anybody Home?...****

* * *

The bright red full-size car drove on the two-lane road to the backcountry away from the city limits of Hillwood, passing by many trees, their branches and leaves shading the afternoon sun. It was an hour drive to their destination, the miles now being only fifteen left.

Four people were in the car, being oddly quiet. The one who was driving was a petite half-Asian girl, her hair in a braided ponytail, wearing cute glasses, a green tank-top, a pair of light skinny jeans, and black ankle wrapped ballet flats. In the passenger seat, a tall well-built African-American guy, whose hair looked three inches tall on his head, was wearing a white undershirt under a red long sleeved shirt, pair of dark jeans, and black and white Nike's.

In the back seat, two other people, man and woman and both blonde, sat on each side of the back of the car quietly. The young woman, whose hair was flowing, sat in the back of the driver's seat, her arms crossing and looking out the window to see the passing trees, almost as if they were interesting to look at instead of the people in the car. She was wearing a pink shirt with a red stripe across her chest, jean shorts, and pink low top converse sneakers. The young blonde man was a football-shaped headed individual, who was wearing a red plaid light jacket openly with a blue shirt underneath it, jeans, and black and white sneakers. He was sitting on the other side of the car, looking out the window as well, as if trying to avoid eye contact form the young woman next to her.

The half-Asian girl, whose name is Phoebe Heyerdahl, drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. The African-American, named Gerald Johanssen, sat quietly in his passenger seat. The two people in the back seat, the girl, Helga G. Pataki, and the boy, Arnold Shortman, sat in their seats, both looking like they're seemingly trying to avoid eye contact with each other.

Phoebe kept her eyes on the road all the while checking her rear-view mirror on her friends. Ever since they got in the car and drove out of Hillwood, Helga and Arnold haven't spoken to each other. Obviously not a good way to start this trip, but she was always hopeful.

 _'At least they got in the car. That's saying something.'_ Phoebe thought as she nervously bit her bottom lip.

Remembering the resolution to the confrontation forty-five minutes ago was still a surprise. It happened when they drove to the boarding house to pick up Arnold...

* * *

" _Helga!?" Arnold exclaimed in shock as he opened the right side of the car door._

 _Helga blinked as she looked up from her book while sitting in the middle seat. "What the-Arnold!?" she then turned to her friend in the driver's seat, her expression showing aggravation. "Phoebe, what the_ hell _is going on!?" Helga demanded._

" _Helga, sit there," Phoebe said in a firm tone._

" _Hell no!" Helga unbuckled her middle seatbelt and scooted to the left side of the car to open the door. However, Phoebe turned on the lock to her door so she wouldn't get out. "Damn it, Phoebe!" She tried to fiddle with the lock but proved fruitless. Even when she did manage to pull the lock up, Phoebe locks it again instantly._

" _Helga, you and Arnold need to reconcile your differences," Phoebe informed._

" _Why should I!? He clearly stated that we needed a_ break _!" Helga said in disdain._

 _Arnold looked inside of the car to glance at Gerald incredulously. "Seriously Gerald? You were in on this?"_

" _Hey, this is all Phoebe's idea. I'm just helping my girl out," he said in defense. "But honestly, you and Helga definitely do_ need _to reconcile."_

" _We're not going to reconcile_ anything _!" Helga testily said._

" _Look, we know of your rocky situation, and we thought maybe we could help and assist you two on the problem," Phoebe explained._

" _There's nothing to help!" Helga countered._

" _So what, you guys_ are _hunky-dory now?" Gerald asked them sarcastically._

 _The blonde woman didn't say anything as she glared at Gerald, while Arnold stood there rubbing the back of his head in anxiety._

 _"You know...technially, we_ are _still together," Arnold muttered._

 _Helga turned her head to him with a surprised look._

 _"That's right. Which means, you guys didn't officially break up. You both agreed that you two needed a break from each other." Phoebe pointed out._

 _Helga_ _sat there_ _mulling over a moment on what Arnold and Phoebe said, but mostly on what Arnold said. Shaking_ _her head as she felt a headache coming on, she sighed loudly before saying, "You know what...you're already here, Arnoldo. Just...get in the car."_

 _Arnold and even Phoebe and Gerald looked at her in surprise._

" _R-Really?" Arnold asked stunned._

" _Yeah. Why not? Don't expect me to talk to you though." Helga advised._

 _Arnold's face looked dejected. "...Okay then..." He turned his attention to Phoebe. "Is the trunk open?"_

" _Oh, um, yes, it is," Phoebe replied, still a little shocked that Helga was willing enough to let him come along. It couldn't be that easy, could it?_

" _Thanks." he went around to the back of the car to put his luggage in the trunk. Closing it, he went back to the opened right side of the door and climbed in, closing it and buckling his seatbelt._

" _Alright...I'm ready," Arnold said._

 _Helga grunted._

 _Phoebe and Gerald turned to each other in bewilderment at the situation._

 _Gerald laid back in his seat. "Well...I guess we're off."_

" _Uh...yeah," Phoebe said, still in a daze. She shook her head and turned on the car. It was then she whispered. "I hope this works."_

* * *

The ride was still quiet...

It really was mostly Phoebe's idea to arrange this get-together; her boyfriend was just in this for the ride. Gerald actually invited Arnold for a day-stay vacation with him and Phoebe at her family's lake house in the countryside, while Phoebe invited Helga as well separately. They were heading to the lake house during Spring Break on a Thursday afternoon and were staying there until tomorrow morning. Arnold and Helga actually did agree to come along so they can get away from the city, although they didn't know that the other person would be coming.

Again, Phoebe was hopeful that this could work. They agreed to come along, so that was a good sign. Gerald had his doubts about this whole thing, but he really did want to help out his buddy Arnold. However, he still was waiting for the inevitable for when those infamous Arnold and Helga 'scuffles' will start coming back. He didn't doubt Phoebe's good intentions though. It was just that if he knew those two, they were going to be upset over the most absurd things, so much, that it would take an hour for them to give each other the cold shoulder.

As for Arnold and Helga, they both really do appreciate what Phoebe is doing. Sure, one of them is a little peeved at what the other person had said back in the Christmas holidays, the argument still fresh in their minds, but in a way, they still have feelings for each other. They don't hate each other; not by a long shot. However, they soon started to realize the complications of having a relationship. Not everything is all 'happy rainbows', as Helga would say, and Arnold knows that having a relationship was going to be tough. This whole "reconnecting" idea could probably work...or maybe not. They'll just have to wait and see.

Either way, three years ago, Helga, the brash but honest young woman who was a gifted poet, finally confessed Arnold her love for him when they were seventeen. Arnold, the kind and understanding person who is willing to give people a second chance, was shocked at this revelation. It happened in one of Rhonda's parties, a New Year's Eve party to be exact.

* * *

 _ _Everyone was chatting away and drinking non-alcoholic eggnog in Rhonda's mansion, waiting for the New Year to ring around. Arnold was relaxing on the couch in the grand living room, drinking his eggnog(that hopefully wasn't punched by Curly) and looking around at the guests who were talking to each other.__

 _ _He spotted Stinky, Harold, and Sid, probably discussing sports as Stinky and Sid played basketball, while Harold played football. He also saw Rhonda, Nadine, Sheena, and along with Eugene, chatting up about drama class he would think. He also spotted Gerald talking(or flirting to be more precise) with Phoebe, the African-American wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive but teasing matter, while Phoebe just giggled. Arnold chuckled at their interaction. He then realized that if Phoebe was here, then Helga might be here as well…__

 _ _Arnold and Helga's relationship really evolved drastically during the years. When they were younger at their school in PS 118, Helga was portrayed as a bully tomboy, shoving people and threatening them with her fists. She always specifically picked on Arnold the most, calling him 'football head', and always insulting him. But as time went on, the loud bully tomboy persona began to crumble. Of course, she still acts tough and has that no-nonsense attitude, but she has somewhat softened up to her classmates and friends. She doesn't even oppose to things that are girly anymore...well, kind of. She just technically wants to make herself look nice. The relationship between her and Arnold also changed in due time, as Arnold, being the nice and patient guy that he is, got to know Helga even further during the years. She even seemed to open more and even revealed her love of poetry, which stunned Arnold. To think that the tough girl he knows for so long has a soft creative side.__

 _ _During the time that has passed, they even slowly became friends, Helga cracking a few harmless sardonic jokes to Arnold, which in turn made him actually laugh, to Helga not really calling him 'football head' anymore.__

 _ _Arnold was glad for the friendship with Helga, finally getting to know her and letting her break down her barriers. Although…even though he's glad he's friends with Helga, he can't deny that Helga turned quite attractive during the years.__

 _ _Helga transformed her tomboyish look, into a stunning beauty. She still stood almost a little taller than Arnold, just a few inches, but still looked gorgeous. Her figure matured into curves, her legs were toned and long thanks to playing basketball, and her hair flowed down to her waist.__

 _ _She even took the time to pluck off the mono-brow to let her have two perfectly arched eyebrows, which to be perfectly honest, he kind of was disappointed that she did that. It's what made her__ _her_ _ _. He did ask about it__ _ _one day, which she said she "had her reasons". He didn't delve any further after that. If she had a reason why she got rid of it, then he'll respect that.__

 _ _Either way, her face still has the same beauty to it even when she was nine…he always did thought Helga was attractive in her own way...which led to Arnold realizing something else during the time he spent with her.__

 _ _He was starting to 'like her-like her'.__

 _ _After all the hanging out they've done, Arnold started to realize that Helga may be the most interesting and fascinating person he has ever met. She now revealed her true self along with her hopes, goals, and dreams, making her a truly unique woman with a beautiful soul…and that made him all the more infatuated with her.__

 _ _In fact…ever since that day at the top of the FTi building, when__ she __herself 'confessed' to Arnold about her love to him, it made him think about that day for a good while through the years. Of course, she said it wasn't for real and said it was in the 'heat of the moment', and they went back to their daily lives, but honestly, thinking about it right now…he didn't know if he should believe that anymore. He even started to think about Helga in the strangest way when he turned ten. He didn't want to admit that, because seriously, who falls in love with their former bully? At least, it didn't start out as love. It started out more as a simple liking towards someone, to admiration at age thirteen, and then to age fifteen…to fully loving every bit of her company.__

 _ _All he knows is that as time went on…he was really starting to fall in love with her.__

 _ _Of course, Arnold couldn't just straight up tell Helga about these feelings. What would she say, or do? Would she laugh, turn him down? Arnold couldn't face the humiliation.__

 _ _While he was thinking of Helga, he turned his gaze to the open balcony over to his left.__

… _ _That was then he saw a glimpse of blonde hair in a ponytail.__

 _ _It belongs to a girl(obviously), her back facing away from the party as she was looking out over the railing, her arms on the rail. Curious, Arnold put down his eggnog on the table in front of the couch and walked past the teenage guests outside to the balcony. He went closer to the girl, her back still facing away from him. He decided to say something…__

" _ _Um…Helga?" Arnold inquired to the girl.__

 _ _Sure enough, the girl whirled around to look at Arnold, being none other than Helga.__

" _ _Oh! Uh…hey, Arnoldo." Helga said in surprise.__

" _ _Hey…um, what are you doing out here?" Arnold asked.__

" _ _Oh, just…you know, waiting for the fireworks to start." Helga said as she leaned her back on the railing.__

" _ _Oh…" Arnold looked at his wrist watch for the time, which read 11:55 PM. "Oh yeah, the fireworks! …Wow, time sure does fly by."__

 _ _Helga snorted with a smirk, "Yeah, apparently Rhonda's parties do that." She drummed her fingers on the railing. "So, whatcha doing out here? The party too much for you?"__

" _ _Uh…yeah, pretty much. Just getting some fresh air." Arnold said, not completely lying.__

" _ _Heh, yeah it was getting a little stuffy in there for me as well," Helga said with a smile.__

 _ _Arnold smiled back. He looked up at the late night sky and said, "I almost forgot about the city's fireworks display."__

" _ _Well, doi, it__ is __New Year's Eve, going on New Year's Day. I don't know how you would forget about that." Helga said in a joking manner.__

 _ _Arnold chuckled, "Well, I was…" he paused, "…distracted." He said, covering that bit up, not wanting to say what really was distracting him.__

 _ _Helga raised an eyebrow(it's hard to believe she has those now), feeling as if there was more to that statement. But she shrugged, either way, letting it pass. "Well…" she shifted her eyes to her left, "…since you're here, do you want to wait for the fireworks? I mean, you like fireworks, right?" she said as she looked back at Arnold.__

" _ _Um…yeah, I like fireworks," Arnold said, feeling nervous quite a bit. He went to the railing and rests his arms on it, standing next to Helga. The girl turned around to rest her arms again on the rail to look up at the night sky again, waiting for when the fireworks start.__

 _ _They stood there for a while in awkward silence as they looked up at the sky…until Arnold broke it by saying, "Heh, I just saw Gerald hitting on Phoebe."__

 _ _Helga snorted, "That doesn't surprise me. Those two should really just make out already. It saves us all the trouble of them beating around the bush."__

 _ _Arnold laughed softly, "Yeah, tell me about it."__

 _ _They stood in silence once more…__

" _ _Alright, everybody! The countdown to the New Year is about to start!" they could hear Rhonda's voice inside the house, "Let's all gather around and watch the ball drop!"__

 _ _Arnold chuckled, "Looks like the fireworks are about to start."__

" _ _Heh, yeah. You would think looking at them out here would be more spectacular instead of watching it on some big flat screen TV." Helga drawled.__

" _ _Yeah…it's actually more pleasant to watch them outside…with company." Arnold added that last part absentmindedly. His eyes widened at the slip up, but kept his composure.__

 _ _Helga turned her head to Arnold and blinked. "Um…yeah…"__

 _ _Arnold tried very hard not to look back at her enchanted face and those beautiful eyes, so he kept looking up at the sky.__

 _ _The two of them still stood there out on the balcony, both leaning on it.__

 _ _They were close to each other just a bit, perhaps a foot away from each other. They can hear their friends' counting down the New Year at forty-five seconds.__

" _ _So…what's your New Year's resolution?" Helga asked Arnold.__

 _ _He shrugged, "Maybe try to get into a good college and get a degree in anthropology."__

" _ _Really?" Helga said interested, "Hm. Mine is like that too, except I want to get a degree in creative writing."__

 _ _Arnold turned his head at Helga with a warm smile. "Cool. I have no doubt in my mind that you'll do excellent in that major."__

 _ _Helga had the slightest blush on her face as she looked away bashfully, "Well…you better not…"__

 _ _The crowd was now at thirty-five seconds.__

 _ _Arnold kept his smile, as he turned his gaze towards the night sky once more.__

 _ _He then had a thought. Could he? Should he? …Can he confess to her?__

 _ _The guests now counted down to twenty seconds.__

' _ ** _ **Well…you know her for so long…maybe she feels the same way too.'**_**_

 _ _Fifteen seconds.__

 _ _Arnold frowned,__ _ ** _ **'But what will her reaction be? Can I really just…say it? That I 'like her-like her'?**_**_

 _ _Ten seconds.__

'… _ ** _ **This has been bugging me for a while. I can't let it bug me anymore. …I'm gonna say it. I don't care what the consequences are.'**_**_

 _ _Five seconds.__

… _ _Four.__

" _ _Helga-" Arnold started.__

 _ _But then…__

 _ _Three…__

… _ _Helga grabbed the back of Arnold's head and mashed her lips into his.__

 _ _Two…__

 _ _Helga's eyes closed as she kissed him. Arnold's eyes were wide as saucers, but he didn't fight back, he was in too much shock.__

 _ _ONE.__

 _ _The fireworks instantly sprang to life.__

 _ _After a couple of seconds and a couple of loud fireworks, Helga broke the kiss and looked at Arnold with a blank expression.__

 _ _Arnold's face was that of in shock.__

 _ _Helga's expression then slowly changed into of wide-eyed realization…and then panic.__

" _ _Oh crap. I-I'm sorry, I was just-I mean, I…I didn't, I-I mean…__ criminy! __Um…" Helga let go of Arnold and started stuttering, grabbing her head with one hand as she tried to think of something quickly. "Th-the fireworks! T-they make me go a little crazy! U-uh…" She stopped and stared at Arnold, who in turn still looked shocked.__

 _ _...Awkward silence...__

"… _ _Ugh…" Helga groaned, giving up and putting her hand on her face, "Okay, you know what? No backing out now." She lowered her hand and stares at Arnold intensely. "Arnold…I…I like you. …Okay? I like you. I LIKE you! In fact, I even…" she paused, thinking about it for a second. She lowered and shook her head, muttering, "Come on, you can do this…" she looked back at Arnold again, "I love you, Arnold! There! No big deal! I__ love __you! And you know what? Back at the FTi building when we were kids? I__ meant ALL __of what I said! And after all these years, I__ still __love you, Arnold! And I'm glad we're hanging out and getting to know each other better! I…I wanted that…more than you would ever know…" she glanced down, suddenly feeling timid… "…I__ love __you, Arnold."__

 _ _Arnold's shocked expression softened as he heard her confession…her second one, to be exact.__

 _ _Helga looked back up at Arnold, still holding the doubt in her eyes, "So…yeah. Now you REALLY know…" She averted her gaze from Arnold to look over her right, trying to watch the fireworks so she doesn't have to deal more of this confession."…Look, just…forget it. I just thought…I would tell you this because we'll be all out of high school in the next several months. I want…I want to spend much time with you as possible before we go to our designated colleges…I'm…" she lowered her head with a pained expression, "…I'm sorry. I don't want to ruin what we already have. I-" but she never finished, as she felt a pair of lips pressed against hers.__

 _ _Arnold…was kissing Helga!__

 _ _Helga's eyes were wide, a loss of words…mostly because he was making sure she doesn't say anything as he kisses her. But after it registered to her that he was actually returning the kiss back, Helga then took the opportunity to return it. She wrapped her arms around his neck as Arnold did around hers. They continued like this for a minute, the fireworks blaring and booming in the background into the night sky.__

 _ _They broke their kiss to catch a breath. Arnold, who was panting, had a sexy smirk on his face and said, "Was kissing me one of your New Year's resolutions?"__

 _ _Also panting, Helga chuckled, "It wouldn't be if I've already done it."__

" _ _Hm…that's true." Arnold smiled at his angel, "Still…I want to also say that…I grew to love you as well, Helga."__

 _ _Helga looked at him in shock. Is this a dream? It sounded like it could be one of her dreams. "…If this is a dream, I'll be royally pissed."__

 _ _Arnold laughed, "Well…I guess I'll have to convince you that it isn't a dream."__

 _ _He kissed her again, deepening it. Helga slowly closed her eyes…she's convinced that it wasn't a dream.__

 _ _They stood there, kissing each other…not noticing that some of the guests were watching from inside the home.__

 _ _Harold, Stinky, and Sid looked on with dropped jaws. Rhonda and Nadine were both shocked, but Sheena was trying hard to contain her excitement while Eugene was smiling, tearing up at the couple. Gerald and Phoebe stood there, their mouths wide opened as well. Curly just stood with his eggnog in his hand. He looked at the drink and back at the couple. "Wow. I haven't even spiked it yet." He said in surprise.__

" _ _Um…" Sid started, "…Is the world ending now?"__

" _ _Oh man, what am I seeing!?" Harold asked in shock.__

" _ _Gee-willikers, I never thought I'd see the day," Stinky said in awe.__

" _ _Oh…my gosh…" Rhonda said in bafflement.__

" _ _Wow…" Nadine said in astonishment.__

" _ _Yahoo! I win! Pay up girls!" Sheena cheered with a smile as she held out her hand for the money.__

 _ _Eugene kept smiling and wiped away his happy tears.__

 _ _Gerald shook the shock out of his head. "Holy COW! It really happened!"__

 _ _Phoebe looked on, wondering if her eyes were deceiving her, as she adjusted her glasses. Seeing that it isn't a mirage, she smiled at the scene, giggled happily, and said. "Finally. It's about time!"__

 _ _And so the fireworks went on as if they were congratulating and commemorating the new couple. Arnold and Helga kept their embrace going, never wanting to let go.__

* * *

' _ _That was three years ago.'__ Arnold thought to himself solemnly.

Ever since that day, Arnold and Helga officially became a couple, hanging out in school, and everywhere in Hillwood. They were almost inseparable. They even call each other pet names at times, Football Head being one of the names Helga still calls him, only this time, it was in a teasing and affectionate way. They even gave each other timid but sweet kisses to each other. They were actually a great pair, their attitudes mixing well with their personalities.

After high school, they went to their respective colleges, Helga at a small but prestigious liberal arts college, and Arnold a university that studies research and anthropology. They set up a time to talk to each other whenever they have the chance, sharing what they've studied and basically telling each other how their days went.

It was all going really well…until the calls started to become less and less frequent through their junior year.

When this happened, Helga got worried about it, wondering if she's been calling too much. So she texted him, trying to ease her doubts. Arnold replied back saying that he was just busy with certain studies, and will try to call back when he can. Helga understood this as she's also busy as well with her literary studies, so she waited for Arnold to make the calls.

However, he hadn't called back until three days later. Soon it became four days until he called back. Then five days. Then it became a week. This started happening all throughout their first semester, and it was really starting to worry her now. It was then she decided to call him during the Christmas holidays when they went back to Hillwood. She called Arnold at the boarding home as they finally talked about their lack of communication...but that was until their conversation took an ugly turn that day.

* * *

" _Helga?" Arnold said in surprise._

" _ **Hey Arnold! Um...you're not like...doing anything right now, are you?"** Helga asked a little uncertain._

" _Uh, no, no, just...relaxing on the bed right now. Um...how are you?"_

" _ **Good, good...I just, um...well, just want to make sure if..."**_

" _...Helga?"_

" _ **...Okay, I'm gonna be blunt. Are you avoiding me?"**_

 _Arnold blinked. "What?"_

" _ **Just please answer the question."**_ _Helga pleaded._

 _Arnold cringed. He kind of knew this was coming. "H-Helga, no, I'm not. I'm just...very busy."_

" _ **Doing what?"**_

" _...I'm..." he sighs. "Look, Helga, I...I have to do something personal."_

" _ **...Like what?"**_

" _...There's a reason I want a degree in anthropology. I...I'm actually trying to look for my parents."_

 _Silence on the other line._

" _ **...Arnold-"**_

" _Look, before you say anything, I know, I_ know _, but...I just...I need to know."_

" _ **...Arnold, there's a chance that they're-"**_

" _Please don't finish that statement, Helga."_

" _ **Arnold, I'm just...stating possible facts."**_

" _Well, I don't like those possible facts."_

 _Helga sighs also. **"Arnold, look, I...I just don't want you to get your hopes up if that's the case."**_

" _Helga, I_ feel _like they're out there somewhere!"_

" _ **But how can you really tell?"**_

" _I just...I just do, okay!?" Arnold said, a little frustrated at Helga's negative outlook on the situation._

" _ **Arnold, it's been who knows how long since you last saw them when you were young. It-It can't be possible that they could be-"**_

" _I thought you would understand," Arnold muttered in aggravation._

" _ **...What?"**_

" _I thought you would be_ supportive _on this."_

" _ **Wha-Arnold, I just...don't want you to be disappointed."**_

" _Right now, I'm disappointed in you."_

" _ **What!? Arnold, I'm just-"**_

" _Being realistic? Well, so am I. I just have a feeling they could still be out there, and they could still be alive."_

" _ **Arnold, please, I was just saying-"**_

" _No, you know what? I don't want to hear it. I thought you would understand."_

" _ **Arnold, I**_ **do** ** _understand! Would you just let me-"_**

" _Let you what!? Tell me that it's possible that my parents are_ dead _!?"_

" _ **...Arnold...I just...I just want to see you again, okay? I don't...I don't want us to fight."**_

 _Arnold sat there, almost mulling over her words._

" _...So that's what this is about."_

" _ **What?"**_

" _Helga, I know that I haven't called since the end of September, but please consider this. I need to find out what happened to my parents."_

" _ **Wait, what are you saying?"**_

 _Arnold sighed. "Helga, I don't want you to cling onto me about this. Please don't be selfish."_

" _ **Wait, selfish!? You think I'm being**_ **selfish** ** _!? Arnold, I was just trying to-"_**

" _Just please support me on this, Helga," Arnold said softly._

 _A silence was on the other line..._

" _ **...You know, I think you're the one that's being selfish."**_

 _Arnold blinked. "What?"_

" _ **Sure, I can see why you're upset and dedicated on finding them, but don't you think you're being too hopeful about this? The chances right now are too slim. They've been gone ever since you were a**_ **toddler.** ** _"_**

 _Arnold sat there in silence..._

" _...I_ really _thought you would understand."_

 _Helga lost it. **"ARNOLD! I**_ **DO** _ **!"**_

" _Just admit that you're selfish," he said with such defeat._

 _...Now there was dead silence._

" _ **...No. I'm not."**_

" _Helga-"_

" _ **Arnold, if you were having this problem, we would have talked about it. But you didn't! You just kept it to yourself, wanting to do this on your own!**_ **You're** ** _the one that's being selfish! I was beginning to think you were losing interest in me! Do you know how that makes me_ feel _!?"_**

" _Helga, please-"_

" _ **How could you say that I'm being selfish when I just don't want you to be hurt!? And maybe it is a little selfish that I want you to stay here in the country and not go anywhere! But I don't want to risk you breaking down if you find out that your parents could be dead!"**_

" _HELGA, JUST STOP!"_

 _...Helga stopped talking._

 _Arnold took a deep, shaky breath. "Helga...maybe...maybe we should take a break."_

" _ **...What?"**_

" _I just...I just need some time to myself..."_

 _...A pregnant pause._

" _ **...F-...Fine."** Helga said in shock, feeling...betrayed. It soon turned into hurt anger. **"We'll take a**_ **break.** ** _Just know that you're also being_ selfish _about this whole thing, Football Head."_**

 _And that was when she hung up._

" _Hel-" But it was too late. For a moment, Arnold felt like he should have taken back what he said. He sighed and dropped the phone and rubbed his eyes with his hand, trying to not let any tears escape from his eyes._

 _He never felt so low in his life._

* * *

They all sat there in the car in silence as it drove...

Phoebe broke the ice. "We're almost there. I can remember going to the lake house back when I was younger. It's really nice."

"Hey, this part of the countryside _is_ really nice. I'm sure it's beautiful." Gerald said with a smile to his girlfriend.

Phoebe glanced at Gerald with a sweet smile of her own. Arnold hummed in distractedly, while Helga grunted in agreement as well.

Gerald glanced back at the two and sighed in frustration as he leaned his head back of his chair. "Okay, __seriously__ you guys, at least pretend that you're happy!"

Arnold lifted his head and blinked at his friend, while Helga turned to Gerald with a raised eyebrow.

"Gerald…" Phoebe said quietly.

"I'm sorry, babe, but I can't take this any longer!" Gerald turned in his seat to the both of them. "Look, my gal Phoebe is trying her best to let you guys reconnect with each other. If you two want to be so pouty against each other, then you guys should have just stayed home! I mean, the least you could all do is act like you guys might have a good time!"

Arnold and Helga blinked at Gerald's outburst and looked at each other, wondering what the other is thinking.

Helga stared at Arnold for a moment in silence...

She would be lying if she said she wasn't hopeful, and she __was__ hopeful...

Arnold stared at Helga in silence for a moment as well...

He loves her, he __really__ does to this day…he just feels like during that day back then, he _failed_ her...

They both looked at each other for a couple of more seconds…

…Arnold slowly formed a small smile.

…Helga looked away, holding a pained look on her face.

Arnold frowned…he looked away, a pained expression on his face as well.

Gerald just rolled his eyes and sat back into his seat.

Phoebe, who looked in the rear-view mirror at her two friends, sighed glumly.

Gerald turned to his girlfriend and frowned. Perhaps he should've kept his mouth shut. He sighed and said softly so the people at the back seat wouldn't hear, "I'm sorry, Phoebe, I-"

"No no." Phoebe whispered as well, reassuring him, "It's okay. I appreciate you trying to help out..."

Gerald frown deepened, now feeling embarrassed about going off at his friends. He leans back in his seat and sighs.

They were all quiet...

"...I just hope this works." Phoebe mutters.

Gerald had a solemn look on his face, "Yeah…I hope so too." he mutters as well.

They drove a couple more miles until reaching their destination…

* * *

 ** **[EDITED AND REVISED: 9/19/2017]****

 ** **Okay! This is the whole revised first chapter! I hope everything looks great! Tell me if it is! And if you've already read this and are reading this again, then tell me how I did again! XD****

 ** **And as I said before, stuff will go down**** ** _ **real**_** ** **soon. I**** ** _ **promise**_** ** **. ;D****

 ** **I hope the flashback scenes were good! And once again, go on ahead and follow the story if you want! Heck, maybe even fave it while you're at it! But most importantly, leave me a review! I would definitely love to know if it sounds any better! :D****

 ** **See you all later! As of now, the second chapter is in the process of being written. :)****

 ** **Keep on rocking everyone! ^_^****

 ** **-TSP****


	2. Old Wounds Will Heal

**I've changed Arnold's mood on the whole thing. He's now a little more regretful than bitter. I think that change was necessary. :P**

 **Also, things will pick up in the next chapter, I promise! D:**

* * *

As Phoebe drove up more in the forest and field countryside, on their left side they could see a barrier of a white wooden five-foot tall fence, indicating that they reached their destination. As soon as they arrived, Helga, who was again behind the driver's seat, could see the house far in the distance, the trees almost obscuring the home. The clearing of the flat land was fenced off, surrounding the area with what looked like two acres, with several trees dotting the property. The entrance was little ways off but came closer as they drove. When nearing the entrance, a one-story ranch-style home was out in the short distance from the entryway. The house looked like a traditional wooden ranch style, logs jutting through the exterior of it, along with a red-brown wooden shingled roof. There was also a medium-sized lake behind the home, as well as a storage barn, a small boathouse, and a dock behind it all. The trees are shading the suns rays around the property, while beautiful flowers dotted around the field, their vibrant colors blooming in the springtime, making the whole area a serene and peaceful setting. It surely is a nice retreat out away from the city.

Helga actually has been to this place once during her freshman year of high school. She remembered the home having a nice rustic feel to it, the place almost like a cabin. Phoebe says that she and her family usually go here every summer to relax. The area was pretty remote, as the next neighbor was probably only two to three miles away.

"We're here!" Phoebe said in a sing-a-long tone as she drove up the front of the property's wooden entryway gate, which seems to be closed. "Hold on a second, I need to unlock the gate."

She grabbed a ring full of keys that were on the car tray in between her driver seat and Gerald's. Opening her car door and unbuckling her seat-belt, she got out of the car as she walked up to the gate, selecting a key out of the key ring. On the left side of the gate door was a chain wrapping around the edge of the door and the side of the gate with a padlock on it. Inserting the key into the padlock, she unlocked it, making a 'click' sound. She gathered the chain and the padlock with her in one arm and began to push open the gate door with the other.

Seeing that she might need a little help, Gerald opened his car door and said, "Whoa, Phoebe! Hold up, you might need some help!" unbuckling his seatbelt, he turned around to the two in the back seat. "Try not to kill each other while I'm gone," he said sarcastically as he got out of the car.

Helga rolled her eyes, while Arnold said nothing.

The two sat there for a while, the silence deafening except for the far-off voices of Gerald and Phoebe as they conversed.

Arnold, thinking it would be a good time to say something now after the _excruciating_ pain of not either one of them talking, decided to say. "You know...it really is nice of Phoebe and her parents to let all of us stay at their lake house for the day."

Helga shrugged. "Yeah, it is. I wonder how much has changed."

Arnold turned his head at Helga and blinked. "You been here before?"

"Yeah. When I was fifteen."

"Oh..."

The conversation died after that.

It was then Phoebe and Gerald came back into their designated seats in the car(with Gerald holding the chain and padlock in his hands), closing their doors. "O-kay! Here we go!"

Helga sighed and sat back in her seat, while Arnold looked down at his shoes as if they were more interesting.

They entered the property, driving on the dirt road as they near the home, passing a couple of trees.

"Thank you Gerald, for helping me out with the gate! You are _such_ a gentleman." Phoebe said with a smile.

"Aw, shucks Babe, I just don't want you to do all the work," Gerald said with a sweet smile.

"Aww, Gerald!" Phoebe gushed appreciatively.

Helga rolled her eyes again, mumbling, "Oh criminy..."

Arnold just sat there, not saying anything as he felt a little awkward.

As they neared the house, Arnold took the time to survey the area where they will be staying for the remainder of the day. Deciding to compliment on the area, he said. "This is a nice property you have, Phoebe. I need to thank your parents with a note when I have the time."

"Yeah, thanks, Pheebs. I'll have to do that too." Helga muttered with hidden gratitude.

Phoebe smiled brightly as she glanced at them. "Thanks, guys! I did a lot of convincing from my parents to do this, and I'm _really_ glad they agreed they let me borrow the house for a while. Just as long as you guys behave yourselves and not be too frisky with each other."

Arnold blinked and Helga straightened at that bit of info.

"Wait a minute...you make it sound like you guys aren't coming..." Helga asked in hesitation.

" _Weeeell._..Gerald and I are just... _here_ for the ride..." Phoebe said reluctantly.

...Helga and Arnold put two and two together...

"W-Wait a minute...y-you're...you're just _dropping us_ off!?" Helga exclaimed incredulously.

"Wait...I-I saw more luggage in the back of the trunk," Arnold said, feeling a little uneasy right now.

"Uh, yeah, about that, Arnold...those were just for show," Gerald said almost sheepishly. "But the cooler, grill and the bread buns weren't! You can both fix up some hamburgers while you and Helga are there!"

Arnold's eyes widened while Helga scowled. The blonde haired young woman expressed her outrage. "Pheebs, I can't believe you would do something like this!"

"Helga, in order for you and Arnold to face these problems head-on, you have to confront and talk to each other about it," Phoebe advised.

" _Still_ , Phoebe! You and Geraldo just straight up lied to us!" Helga exclaimed in irritation.

"I-I don't know about this," Arnold said nervously, looking down as he was wringing his hands.

"Me neither, Football Head! Phoebe, turn this car around, I'm not gonna be a part of this!" Helga said in defiance.

"No," Phoebe said simply, expressing defiance as well.

Helga blinked. "What!? Pheebs, I'm _not_ going to be a part of this! I'm not gonna be stuck here in your vacation home with Arnold for the whole day!"

Arnold looked at Helga, his eyes expressing hurt.

"No, Helga. You _are_ going to be a part of this. You and Arnold are going to make amends."

"What if I don't!? He honestly doesn't want to! He never called me back and whatnot after that argument!"

Arnold felt shame as he was reminded of their argument with Helga during the holidays. To be honest, he wished he could take it back. But he was so mentally exhausted about the whole thing that day, that he just...needed a break...he didn't really know. And what's worse, he thinks about her at times and doesn't try to call back in fear of what she might say...

He felt like a coward when he thought about it...

"I have a feeling you do want to make amends, Helga." Phoebe countered back.

"I _don't_! Just turn the car around, Phoebe!" Helga said in what sounded like desperation.

" _No_ , Helga."

"Phoebe, if you don't turn around _right no_ -!"

 _ **SCEEEEEEERCH!**_

The car stopped abruptly, the passengers harshly jolted from their seats in their seatbelts. Helga and Arnold hit the back seat with force. Gerald, who didn't have his seatbelt on, almost flew to the dashboard, his hands on it to shield the force of the blow. All of three of them looked surprised at Phoebe's bold move.

The car was stopped in front of the vacation home, where there was a tree in front of the house with two ropes connected to a single wooden plank seat, which they were tied up to a tree branch, making it into a wooden swing.

Phoebe roughly puts the car in park.

"Babe?" Gerald said in concern. He had to be honest, he felt pretty uneasy about the situation right now.

Phoebe was silent for a moment...until she turned her head to Helga, a scowl on her own face.

"Look Helga. I _know_ you're hurt. And I _know_ this hurt is directed towards Arnold. But you are _not_ going to run away from this."

Helga, who looked shocked, was about to utter something when Phoebe cut her off.

"No, let me talk, Helga," Phoebe said firmly.

Helga kept her mouth shut.

"You may feel betrayed by what has happened during the holidays, but I know deep down, you want to fix your relationship with Arnold. You and Arnold _can still_ fix this. And I _know_ you want to. And I think Arnold does as well."

Helga turned to look at Arnold, whom in return glanced at her with the same look of sadness in his eyes.

When she saw those eyes of his, those _beautiful_ eyes of his, looking almost broken...

Phoebe continued. "Helga...I admit what Arnold did _was_ selfish." Arnold flinched at that. "But I know for a fact you still love him..."

Gerald decided to throw in some counseling as well. "Yeah, come on, Arnold. That fallout with you and Helga may have been a little too far, but I know you're still stuck on her. I mean, I don't know _why_...no offense Helga."

Helga glowered at Gerald.

"Anyway, I know you still care about her, man." Gerald finished with a sympathetic look at Arnold.

Arnold turned to his best friend, then at Phoebe, then back at Helga. When Helga looked back at Arnold, he still carried that same grief in his eyes, and it really pained her to see him that way...

It was then Arnold asked her. "Are you...are you really mad about what I said, Helga?"

The question was almost rhetorical, as Arnold did know that she was mad. Heck, he was even upset with himself that he suggested a break. He couldn't comprehend why he did...perhaps he was just afraid that Helga wasn't supportive enough for his cause...no matter how inevitable the chances are that his parents might be...gone...

Helga just stared at him...

"...You already know the answer to that, Arnold," she muttered as she unbuckled her seatbelt and exited out of the car.

"Helga!" Phoebe called out, opening the car door to follow Helga.

Arnold sat there, a woeful expression on his face. He turned to Gerald, who gave him look of pity.

They were silent for a moment...

...Until Arnold finally said. "I messed up, Gerald."

"It seems that way, Arnold," Gerald replied.

Arnold groaned miserably. "I just...I don't know what I was thinking. I just said a 'break' because...ugh, I'm so stupid!" he grabbed his face in both of his hands in dejection.

"Hey man, don't beat yourself up over it." Gerald comforts his friend.

"I feel like I should," Arnold muttered.

Gerald sighed. "Look, at any point, I would say that it's not your fault, that Helga was in the wrong...but for once, I agree with Helga. What you said to her was pretty selfish, Arnold."

"Okay! It was selfish, I know!" Arnold said in aggravation. "I just...I don't know, I thought she would be supportive about it..."

"Arnold my man, you haven't really called her that much for the remainder of your first semester from what I heard. You could have at least told her what's up."

Arnold sighed. "I...I know, it's just...I guess I actually do have some sort of false hope that I would...someday find my parents."

Gerald frowned sympathetically at his best friend. "Hey man...I know how you feel when it comes to your parents. But...relationships are supposed to work as a team, you know?"

"Yeah...I know..." Arnold shook his head in grief. "I guess...part of me just felt _embarrassed_ about not calling her and...I kind of ran away from the problem by trying to focus on finding my parents."

Shaking his head, Gerald gave him his two cents. "Well, either way, you need to tell her all this stuff that you're telling me."

"Yeah...I just hope she'll listen."

Gerald shrugged. "You can try. We are leaving you two here for the whole day."

Arnold chuckled softly. "I still can't believe you and Phoebe concoct this grand master plan."

"Hey, I didn't think it up; my girl Phoebe did. Again, just here for the ride." Gerald said with a sheepish smirk.

"Well, either way...thanks for helping Helga and me out," Arnold said in gratitude.

"Hey man, no problem. Also, um..." Gerald rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry for going off on you two while we were riding."

The blonde young man chuckled again. "Hey, no problem." he sat in his seat for a moment as the situation weighed on him. "I just hope we can both survive the day..."

"Hey, like Phoebe said, as long as you two don't get too frisky with each other or mess up my gal's parents vacation home up, then I'm certain you'll both do fine," Gerald said with an assuring smile.

A blush crept up on Arnold's face upon hearing the term 'too frisky' as he looked to his right sheepishly. However, he smirked nonetheless. "Thanks, Gerald."

* * *

"Helga!" Phoebe called out to her again as the blonde young woman faltered her steps as she walked further away from the vehicle.

Once Helga came to a complete stop, Phoebe walked up to her saying. "Helga, please, be reasonable about this."

Helga didn't reply back for while...until she said, "Yep...this place hasn't changed."

Phoebe blinked. "Huh?"

"You know, this place...it hasn't changed...your parents picked a good spot here."

Phoebe frowned. "Helga..."

The blonde was silent...until she sighed and turned around to face her friend, with her arms crossed.

"Okay, look Pheebs, I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little pissed at you right now," Helga said.

"I understand," Phoebe nodded solemnly. "But you _can try_ to fix this, Helga. I _know_ you want to."

Helga remained silent as she looked down at the ground in contemplative thought...

"Helga, why would you even let Arnold in the car if you didn't want him to?" Phoebe asked the question.

"...Well...I kind of thought we were all going, so I agreed to it." Helga muttered.

Phoebe looked at her in doubt. "Are you sure that's the reason?"

Once again, Helga was silent...she blew a sigh through her nose...

"Look, Helga," Phoebe started. "Whether you want to believe it or not, I know you want to be with Arnold again. Haven't you noticed Arnold hasn't backed out when he found out that you were coming with us?"

"That was because he figured out I was going with you guys at the last _second_ before he came into the car," Helga muttered again.

"Well, he didn't back out, did he?"

...Helga sighed. "I don't know, Pheebs..."

"Helga, what could possibly be the reason that you won't let Arnold back into your life?" Phoebe asked in genuine curiosity.

"It's not...it's not that I don't want him back. I...I _do_ , actually." Helga admitted.

"Then what's the problem?"

"...I'm..." Helga took a deep breath and sighed once more. "I'm just...I'm just scared, Pheebs."

"Scared?" Phoebe said with a raised brow. "About what?"

"About..." Helga looked down at the ground once more, wondering if she could even say this. She looked up at Phoebe. "What if Arnold finding his parents is his way of breaking up with me? What if he's...tired of me?"

Phoebe frowned once more. "Helga, that is not true."

"Then why hadn't he told me about him finding his parents? I mean...he _should've_ told me what was bothering him. ...I just...I just felt hurt that he didn't talk to me about it." Helga said with melancholy in her eyes.

Now Phoebe sighed as she stood there for a moment... "I can't answer that, really...but I know Arnold wants you back in his life again. Gerald has been telling me about how Arnold hasn't been himself over the past months."

"It could be because he's finding his parents," Helga muttered.

"That could be part of the reason. But from what I've heard from Gerald, he said that Arnold just looked...depressed most of the time. Like he was bothered by something."

Helga looked at her friend, giving her a hopeful look that says that she really does wants to believe what she's telling her... "...I don't know, Phoebe...you could be looking too much into it."

Phoebe put a hand on Helga's shoulder. "Look...if I'm wrong, I'm wrong...but you _can_ talk to him about this. This is the perfect opportunity to do so."

Helga gazed at her good friend, wondering if this whole trip will be worth it...

She really is hopeful about getting back together with Arnold...she just hopes that Arnold feels the same way...

Maybe this will be the time to know if what they have is true...

"...Okay...I'll go through with it." Helga relented.

Phoebe smiled and hugged her best friend.

Helga sighed, but this time with a smirk. "Okay, Pheebs, I get it, you're happy."

Phoebe let go of Helga, her hands on the blonde's shoulders as she said, "I want to make _you_ happy the most, Helga."

Helga smiled. "Thanks, Phoebe."

The half-Asian girl patted her shoulder with a smile of her own. "Come on. Let's get back to the car and unload."

* * *

Arnold and Gerald turned their attention to the girls, who were coming back to the car. Arnold became nervous, wondering what Helga would say to him or about this whole arrangement. He really wants to try to reconnect with Helga again, and if it means staying in a vacation home for a whole day with her, then so be it.

It was then Phoebe said, "Okay, Helga agrees to stay. Arnold...is that okay with you?"

Arnold blinked and glanced at Helga, who was almost avoiding his gaze as if he answered it'll hurt her.

Arnold almost answered instantly. "Of course."

Helga glanced briefly back at Arnold with wide-eyed surprise.

Gerald then said, "Well okay then! Let's get your luggage and the extra stuff out of the trunk!" he said as he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

Arnold did the same, giving Helga one last look as he unbuckled his seatbelt and exited out of his side of the car.

Helga took a glance at Phoebe, who in turn the shorter girl gave her a knowing smirk.

Both Arnold and Helga soon got their luggage out of the trunk(leaving the 'decoy' luggage in the car) while Gerald carried the grill and cooler(and the bread buns). They all walked over to the vacation home's front door, stuff in their hands and arms, all except for Phoebe, who was basically carrying the same ring of keys. Once they're in front of the dark wooden door, Phoebe selected the home key on the key ring. She inserted the key into the door and unlocked it, opening the entrance to the home.

"Alrighty! Here we are!" announced Phoebe.

With it open, they all entered the dark home, which was filled with natural light. Phoebe turned on a light-switch next to the door, the foyer and the living area to the right lighting up. The interior of the home looked quite inviting, the motif almost looking like a hunter's and fisher's lounge, what with the taxidermy white-tailed deer's head and the bass fish plaques hanging on the walls of the living room. Beyond where they were standing, the entrance to the kitchen was present, as well as another entryway to the far right side of the living room. The living area had all the basic furnishings; a couch, a recliner chair, a coffee table and a few small tables, complete with a flat-screen television hanging on above the bricked fireplace.

"Wow, Pheebs, this is a cozy place you got here!" praised Gerald. "Kind of made me wish we were staying here as well."

Phoebe giggled. "Thanks!"

"Yeah, nice place Phoebe," Arnold said with a smile.

"Yep, definitely looks like the same homey place as it usually is," Helga said with a soft smile, looking around.

"Oh come on guys, it's just my parent's vacation home." teased Phoebe, blushing at the praise. She turned to the two blondes, "Alright, follow me! You both have separate rooms, so I'll show you where they are."

"Pheebs, I've been here before. Don't worry, I know where everything is." Helga stated with a smirk.

"Oh just humor me, Helga." Phoebe then turned to Gerald. "In the meantime, Gerald, you can place the grill at the back of the house while you put the beef patties in the freezer."

"Will do, Babe!" Gerald said with a grin.

As Gerald left to go out the back way, both Arnold and Helga followed the petite girl as she walked them to a hallway, which they turned to the left. On each side of the hallway, there were two doors across from each other. The first door to the left looked to be a bathroom, which had a vanity sink, a tub with a shower curtain around it, and of course, a toilet. The room next to the bathroom was a guest room, and the first room on the right side of the hallway was also a guest room. The last room next to the other guest room was what seemed to be the master bedroom.

"Okay, you two can pick which room you'll stay in, _except_ the master bedroom. Don't want you getting any _ideas_." Phoebe teased them.

Arnold flushed at the comment while Helga rolled her eyes. However, her face was tinted pink as well.

"I'll choose the guest room on the right," Helga said.

"Um...I guess I'm choosing the left guest room." Arnold said with an indifferent shrug.

"Alrighty! Well, you can all just leave your luggage in your designated rooms." Phoebe advised them.

As soon as they both went to their rooms and placed their baggage on the bed and exited out, Gerald came back into the hallway.

"Okay, the grill is all set, I've put the patties in the freezer and the drinks in the fridge!" Gerald confirmed.

"Thanks, Gerald!" Phoebe said with a smile.

"Alright, it looks like we're...all set," Arnold said, feeling awkward for saying that.

"Yep, looks like it," Helga said with her arms crossed.

"Okay!" Phoebe said a little too excitedly as she clasped her hands together. "Well...since Helga remembers the home from the last visit, I'll just let her show Arnold around the property!"

"So...you're leaving us now?" Helga said a little uneasily.

Phoebe smiled sheepishly. "I'm afraid so." she looks at them, feeling hopeful. "I hope things work out."

Helga and Arnold looked at her for a moment until they glanced at each other.

"...Yeah...me too." Arnold said with a sincere smile at Helga.

Helga gazed at him, her expression unreadable. However, her eyes showed a hint of hope also, as well as longing.

The two averted their attention back to Phoebe who said, "Well...we'll see you two tomorrow!"

"Don't kill each other while we're gone, now." Gerald joked.

"Gerald!" Phoebe smacked him on the chest, but knowing full well he was kidding.

Helga took the time to shift her eyes and turn her head slightly at Arnold, who caught her looking at him through his peripheral. The blonde haired woman kept her gaze on him, while Arnold smiled back at her.

It was then Helga emitted a small smile back at him as well.

* * *

Once Phoebe and Gerald entered the car again and fastened their seatbelts, Phoebe took a big sigh as she relaxed in the driver's seat.

"I actually think it's working so far," Gerald reassured her.

Phoebe nodded, staring through the windshield and looking at her vacation home. "Yeah..." she smiled. "I just hope for the best."

"Hey, no worries, Babe. This is a really good thing that you're doing for them."

Phoebe's smile became warm when she turned her head to her boyfriend. "Thanks, Gerald. I...have a good feeling about this."

Gerald smiled back at her. "You know...me too."

She kept the smile for few seconds until she started the car. They backed out and turned the vehicle around to go down the dirt road out of the property. It was then Phoebe glanced at the chain and padlock on the car tray.

"Oh! Gerald, could you help me with the gate so I can chain it up?" Phoebe asked him.

Gerald raised an eyebrow. "Um...okay. Any particular reason why you want to lock them inside your parent's property?"

"Well, it's just for safety precautions. Don't want any wild and dangerous animals to wander in the property."

" _Wild_ and _dangerous_ animals? Babe, the only animals that are around here are deer and squirrels. I doubt Arnold and Helga are gonna be mauled by a squirrel. And I'm definitely certain that they ain't gonna get eaten by a deer."

Phoebe rolled her eyes at the humor with a smirk. "Still, better safe than sorry."

Gerald smirked also. "Okay, whatever you say, Sexy Thang."

Phoebe giggled at Gerald's slick compliment.

* * *

 **Okay! Just so you all know that I haven't forgotten about this story, here's chapter two! And again, I promise things will pick up in the third chapter! D:**

 **Also, WHO'S EXCITED FOR "THE JUNGLE MOVIE"? 8D**

 **But yeah, are you interested in where this is going? Leave a follow! Like this premise? Maybe fave it! What to tell me what you think of it? Give me a review! I love to know what you think! :D**

 **See you all soon, and keep on rocking everybody! ^_^**

 **-TSP**


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